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Getting Started With Improvisation On Guitar

February 11, 2014 by Mike Christiansen

There are many ways that improvisation can be approached. Here is a sequential format that has been used successfully with many guitar students and provides a solid foundation for further study of improvisation.

It seems as though guitarists come out of the womb playing the minor pentatonic scale. The E minor pentatonic scale is easy to finger, easy to memorize, and sounds great in many applications. It’s a good place for students to learn that one scale can be used to improvise over multiple chords. Students can learn to play the notes of the E minor pentatonic scale over a blues in E or E minor. At first, students can practice playing the notes of the scale in any order. Later, they should be taught that some notes sound better than others with each chord. The better sounding notes are generally the chord tones.

After playing the scale, students can play one note per measure. That note should be a note in the chord. That one-note-per-measure solo can be followed with more complex rhythms, and combinations of chord tones and notes from the scale. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg in improvisation, but it’s a beginning phase that is fun and trains the ear to hear tones that are in coincide with the harmony.

Students should also be encouraged to write out their solos, and play written solos that can be used as a template for their improvisation. Call and response is another key element in learning to improvise. For more information on basic guitar improvisation visit the Consonus Music web site at: cmiguitar.com and click on the teacher training section.

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Filed Under: Teacher Training

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About CMI

Welcome to the Consonus Music Institute and the Guitar For Everyone online guitar lesson site. You’ve come to the best place to learn to play the guitar online. Our roots are in the science of guitar instruction. The courses you’re about to study have been developed by Mike Christiansen – Author of over 40 top method books for company’s such as Mel Bay and Warner Bros. As an educator Mike is the teacher’s teacher founding and directing the nations top guitar pedagogy program for 30 years at Utah State University.

Most online guitar lesson sites offer brief courses, which teach a few stylistic licks and songs, but they’re mostly incomplete at best.

Guitar For Everyone approaches learning differently by presenting a complete course of study covering core guitar and music skills -essential to develop not only as a guitar player, but as a musician.

All material is presented in the correct sequence using step by step video instruction and audio practice tracks. Both group and solo guitar playing are emphasized using minus tracks that allow a self-study learner to be part of the ensemble.

Guitar for Everyone is also the ideal resource for private, group and home-school guitar and ukulele studies.

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